Whenever I’m looking to open a new credit card I always look for cards that offer recurring annual benefits. I especially try to find benefits that entirely offset the cards annual fee. By doing this I can keep a card open for a long time, which improves my credit score, and not feel guilty about paying yet another annual fee.
For me, the two One-Time United Club passes that I receive each year from the United MileagePlus Explorer card do just that. United charges $59 to access a United Club location so I’m effectively getting $118 of value from a card that costs just $95. Given that logic I have no problem keeping the MileagePlus card open in perpetuity.
While the math might make sense (to me) I’ve always had one major problem with the one-time passes. No, I’m not talking about the fact that they didn’t show up at first. I’m talking about the fact that United and Chase still only issue paper passes.
The Problem With One-Time United Club Paper Passes
See, the issue with paper passes is that you must have them with you to use them. If you’re at the airport and don’t have a one-time pass with you then you can’t get into the lounge. It doesn’t matter that you’re a card holder or that you haven’t used your pass yet, the fact is, if you don’t have a pass they will not let you in.
I always found this a bit odd that you couldn’t at very least add your paper passes to your United account. I don’t mind that United only issues paper passes, but I do mind that you can’t then scan those paper passes into the mobile app.
Likewise, if you lose a paper pass there is very little that you can do. You could of course call United and/or Chase to get a new pass issued, but I suspect that is easier said than done. Overall, I just never understood why you couldn’t get digital passes like the ones you can buy directly from the Chase app.
United Is Introducing Digital One-Time United Club Passes
Luckily, that’s exactly what United and Chase are doing going forward. Beginning later this year, United will begin issuing digital one-time United Club passes to United MileagePlus Explorer card holders. This was announced a few months ago, but I recently received word from United that it will happen later this year why my one-time passes arrive.
I received this latest news via a standard mailer which United and Chase sent out to MileagePlus Explorer card holders. On the cover of the envelope a simple note let me know that this latest correspondence relates to the United Club one-time passes benefit.
Inside of the mailer I found a brief note which thanked me for my loyalty and that going forward one-time club passes will be issued electronically.
The mailer went on to explain exactly how to use the new digital club passes. It seems going forward, on your card anniversary, that the one-time passes will automatically show up in your United account. Additionally, these passes should be tied to your frequent flyer account number which means lounge agents should be able to see them in the system in the off chance you don’t have a mobile device.
After introducing the change and explaining how to use the new digital passes the mailer continued to discuss the card’s benefits. I found it a bit odd that this mailer came days after the one which announced improved card benefits.
Final Thoughts
I’ve always had a small issue with the one-time United Club passes. When I travel I typically don’t plan on using a United Club so I tend to leave the passes behind. This means that although I have a valid pass I’m still unable to access the lounge.
However, there have been a few occasions where, during a long delay, I wanted to use a pass. It was in that moment, as I sit in the terminal, that I question why I decided to leave my United Club passes at home. This most recently happened to me during a 5 hour layover in Newark. It was painful knowing that I had two valid one-time passes that I couldn’t use.
The only downside that I see regarding this change is the transferability of passes. I’ve actually never used one of my one-time passes. I tend to always give them out to friends or family so that they could use them on their trips. Going forward, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to gift someone one of my one-time passes.
